strawberrygummiess

[strawberrygummiess]

hi everyone, it’s been a while. i have a new fic coming out this upcoming week and probably another in a few weeks after but i wanted to let yall know that i’ve been contemplating locking new uploads on ao3.

according to this reddit thread, ao3 (and a couple of other sites, im not sure which others or if tumblr is a safe archive :/ ) has been scraped for genAI and uploaded multiple times on huggingface and other machine learning sites. my fics are some of many that were scraped and used to train AI against our will.

i wont go into detail about my stance on AI- especially GenAI- beyond being adamantly against it, especially in creative spaces. i, like many other fic writers, am hurt by this news and discouraged from sharing any more of my writing knowing i have little-to-no power in preventing my work from being scraped like this.

the saving grace is that those who locked their fics on ao3 were able to escape the scrape. the only downside to locking fics is that only registered users can gain access to these fics, and i know a lot of my readers don’t have accounts. i don’t want to say i write for validation or attention, but i do share these fics so that other people can enjoy them. i don’t want to limit who can read my fics, but i’m also not too keen on another aspect of my life unwillingly being used to train AI.

(and who’s to say this is a permanent solution? this could very well be used against us once again, with bots pretending to be registered users and scraping everything and ao3 will just inevitably not be a safe place to host any work)

this is not a notice that i will stop writing. the only way we lose to AI is to stop creating and stop being diligent (always try to identify AI-assisted or generated images, videos, and writing yall, it’s important to be able to call them out even when it gets really hard to tell) and i do not plan on giving up my hobbies because untalented losers can’t create things on their own. i’m just looking for ways to slow the spread, if at all possible.

if you guys happen to know any fic sharing sites (besides ff.net, wattpad, quotev, and deviantart, i know about those) please let me know. nowhere is necessarily safe, but they might be under the radar enough to share my work without immediate threats of scapes.

also lmk how you feel about locking fics. ones already scaped would just stay public, but i’ve been contemplating locking new ones. if you think i should (or shouldn’t) and you want to share feedback, please do.

anyways, see you in a week (definitely on here, maybe elsewhere) for a kalim fic, and then the riddle fic in a month.

-bea

[strawberrygummiess]

hello everyone! sorry once again for my absence, i was laid off and i haven’t had much motivation to write 😔 but i’ve had an interview and have another scheduled next week so i’m hoping for some good news soon 🤞🏽 i might push out something short and sweet to make myself feel better, but i won’t promise anything quickly

thanks for reading, hope to talk soon 🫰🏽

[strawberrygummiess]

It's frustrating that you can come up with the plot of an entire fic in just a few seconds, but writing it all down can take anywhere from never to forever.

[strawberrygummiess]

ok im not allowed to start anything new until i update nutcracker but after that would yall prefer:

[strawberrygummiess]

i hope now is a good time to mention that i have a few ao3 exclusive works bc i wanted to keep this blog sfw! so if you wanted to see some new fics i’ve got some up there. i even put out a new fic (nsfw be warned) today if you’d like to check it out

nutcracker update coming soon i promise 🤞🏽

[strawberrygummiess]

orlando in love.

silver (twst) x gender-neutral! reader 1.7k words cross-posted on ao3 "Despite your closeness to his Lord, your paths rarely crossed. Silver would hear affectionate stories of “my dear child of man” from Malleus, reluctant fondness from Sebek, and even the occasional doting comment from his father. You had touched the hearts of the Diasomnia dorm while never speaking to him."

Silver heard of you before he knew you.

You were like a myth on campus: whispers of a mysterious, otherworldly freshman who lived solitarily in the abandoned, haunted dorm. You- a magicless human (always joined by a beast who did possess the affinity for magic) enrolled in a magic school- were always present for the increasing number of overblots. It didn’t help that most of your friendships were with powerful students. Royalty, celebrities, affluent heirs, crime-boss-wannabes; all the most renowned and infamous students at Night Raven College were in your inner circle. And maybe, the most peculiar of all, you were friends with Malleus.

No pity, fear, or social climbing- just a genuine desire to bond with him.

You were bound to be the talk of campus. It was surprising that people didn’t talk about you more.

Despite your closeness to his Lord, your paths rarely crossed. Silver would hear affectionate stories of “my dear child of man” from Malleus, reluctant fondness from Sebek, and even the occasional doting comment from his father. You had touched the hearts of the Diasomnia dorm while never speaking to him. And although never having met you, Silver found himself already liking you.

It didn’t bother him initially. You were a first-year, he was a second-year. You weren’t in the same clubs. He kept a low profile; you were a social butterfly. It made sense why he hadn’t met you. Eventually, though, he found himself longing to meet the one who changed the lives of the most important people in his.

Maybe, if he was lucky, your schedules would align.

--

It wasn’t uncommon for Silver to nap outside. Although it wasn’t intentional, it was one of the better places to be, the warm sun heating his face, and the fauna shielding him from the unsavory dangers of nature. Despite the occasional bug crawling in unpleasant areas, falling asleep outside would always bode better than falling asleep during Trein’s lectures- saving him from the consequence of chastising from his classmates and his professor alike.

Lunch hour was a dangerous time for Silver. It always came with the risk of accidentally missing class if he fell asleep. Usually, he made sure to join his father and Sebek during lunch hour to avoid this. But when both of them had prior arrangements, he knew he’d have to try his best to keep himself awake. A challenge he typically failed.

So here he was, sitting in a secluded area of the courtyard. He was leaning against a tree, the sun shining brightly across his face. It was so bright, it should’ve kept him bright-eyed and focused for his next class. But alas, without realizing it, Silver’s eyes drifted closed, and he snored quietly in his lonesome corner.

“Hello,” the “o” is dragged out, melodic and playful. Your voice gently lulls him from his sleep, and he feels an unfamiliar grogginess creeping through his body. “There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know,” You said, poking Silver’s cheek. You almost gasped when his eyes opened, brilliant periwinkle, shining at you like stars. You try to chase away the flustered feeling in your chest with a wide grin, kneeling closer to him.

Silver shuffles his body, sitting up while you get closer to him. Despite your playful comment, you don’t intend to let him move from his spot, opting instead to join him on the ground. And despite not having seen you before, he knows you. The legend, real in front of him, tangible and visible at last, smiling at him like he was an old friend.

He understood then, why you were so loved.

“I’m so glad Grim irritated me today- funny thing to say, I know- but I wouldn’t have seen you otherwise,” you say, lying down in the grass. “I’ve been meaning to meet you, Silver.” You shift your head to face him, finding a comfortable position. “Everyone talks so highly of you, I needed to confirm you were the real deal,”

Oh. You wanted to meet him. You wanted to meet him.

“Is that so? I can’t imagine I’m that interesting,” he deflected.

“On the contrary. I’m very interested in you,” you say adamantly. “The mythical Silver, valiant and loyal knight of the Malleus Draconia. I had to meet the legend himself.”

(He almost laughed at your words. What a coincidence; thinking of each other so similarly.)

Despite his silence, you continue to smile up at him, eyes gleaming with fondness. The rumors were true; he was gorgeous. Striking silver hair and the most beautiful eyes you had ever seen. He was almost like a siren, so beautiful it was almost unnatural. You would be happy to sit and stare at him forever, happy to bless your eyes with something other than coursework and Grim.

“I see,” he says, after a beat of silence. “I hate to disappoint you though, Prefect. I’m afraid I’m just a regular knight and student. You’ve already met the legend, My Lord.”

Your grin grows impossibly wide. “And humble too! You are the real deal,” you begin to stand up, dusting off your uniform pants.

“Let’s get lunch together soon. I need to know if your personality is as princely as your face,”

--

Silver replays your first encounter a lot.

He likes to tell himself it's not purposeful. Most of the time, he thinks about it before he falls asleep. Your smile, your face gleaming in the sun, your soft hands poking his face, your pretty voice and laugh ringing in the air; the memory cradles him like a mother lulling him to slumber- far more often than he’d like.

You made good on your promise, finding him more often and spending your free time with him. It became a habit; meeting with him weekly for lunch and enjoying the sun together. You usually led the conversation, filling him in on school gossip and stories of your freshmen friends (Grim was quite the troublemaker, and he made a mental note to keep him far away from Malleus) while he fought to maintain consciousness.

You were practically a saint, maintaining patience even when he fell asleep while you spoke. He always felt terrible, but every time you soothed his doubts, continuing your story from where he last remembered like nothing happened.

Your kindness rivaled that of the Princess of yore, with her fondness of the Queen of Briar Valley. It was a refreshing feeling, so unusual among the normal behavior of Night Raven students. Even among the nicer students, you were a breath of fresh air- you held a sincerity akin to a Royal Sword student.

Thus, it was only natural that he began to look forward to your weekly visits. At first, Silver tried to deny it- he was doing his job as a knight by making sure you were truly safe for Malleus to be around of course- but deep in his heart he knew it was futile.

He was truly smitten from the first moment he met you.

So, while he was technically awake, he wasn’t listening to you while you chattered on about your day, complaining about Grim yet again. Instead, he was staring at you, taking in your face, your voice, just you. You were definitely worthy of Malleus’s attention. Probably above Silver’s company. And yet, here you were, donating your time like a charitable aristocrat.

“Hey, have you learned to sleep with your eyes open, Silver?” you joke, waving your hand in front of his face. He blinks, eyes focusing again once he realizes you’re calling to him.

“My apologies, Prefect, I lost focus for a moment,” he said, hoping you didn’t notice the embarrassment in his voice. “Please continue,”

You smile at him, tilting your head at him like a puppy. Usually, you’d continue like nothing happened, but now you were staring straight into him as if you were trying to read his mind.

“Yeesh- “you blink rapidly, scrunching your face in an exaggerated show of pain. “You win the staring contest. Something on your mind?”

He thinks about telling you. Telling you that you occupy his conversations, his thoughts, his dreams. Telling you that you’re distracting him from what matters most. Telling you that he’s stealing you away from the person who deserves you more than him. That maybe, even if he didn’t want to, it was best you two broke this off, for his Lord’s sake.

And he opens his mouth to do so, because Malleus comes first, of course (“Maybe you’re loyal to a fault,” your voice rings in his head. Silver ignores it) even if he doesn’t want to.

But, as if the Great Seven were looking down on him, Grim- your mischievous, troublesome, beast- crashes into your lap, howling for help.

“Henchhuman! I’m in big trouble! Save me!” He whines, burrowing further into your lap much to your annoyance. You scoop him up with a big sigh, pulling yourself up and stuffing the remnants of your lunch into your bag.

“I’m sorry Silver, raincheck?” you ask, scrambling to hold a frantic Grim and gather your belongings. Snapping out of his reverie, Silver moves to help you, slipping the bag on your shoulder with ease while you soothe the beast in your arms.

“Yes, of course, Prefect,” No! “Shall we meet here again next week?” Wrong answer!

You grin brightly moving closer to him. Silver fights the instinct to reach for his pen, reminding himself that you are not his sparring partner. Instead, once you’re parallel to him, you press your lips to his cheek. The cheek you poked weeks ago. Your lips are even softer than your hands. And in that moment, he feels himself short-circuit, fingers twitching over his pen while he tries to understand what happened.

It’s not until Grim squirms again, complaining of “feeling squished!” that you move away from him, your eyes gleaming with mischief. “It’s a date,” you confirm with a nod, walking off.

He’d have to thank Grim for all his trouble. It truly came in handy this time.

[strawberrygummiess]

orlando in love.

silver (twst) x gender-neutral! reader 1.7k words cross-posted on ao3 "Despite your closeness to his Lord, your paths rarely crossed. Silver would hear affectionate stories of “my dear child of man” from Malleus, reluctant fondness from Sebek, and even the occasional doting comment from his father. You had touched the hearts of the Diasomnia dorm while never speaking to him."

Silver heard of you before he knew you.

You were like a myth on campus: whispers of a mysterious, otherworldly freshman who lived solitarily in the abandoned, haunted dorm. You- a magicless human (always joined by a beast who did possess the affinity for magic) enrolled in a magic school- were always present for the increasing number of overblots. It didn’t help that most of your friendships were with powerful students. Royalty, celebrities, affluent heirs, crime-boss-wannabes; all the most renowned and infamous students at Night Raven College were in your inner circle. And maybe, the most peculiar of all, you were friends with Malleus.

No pity, fear, or social climbing- just a genuine desire to bond with him.

You were bound to be the talk of campus. It was surprising that people didn’t talk about you more.

Despite your closeness to his Lord, your paths rarely crossed. Silver would hear affectionate stories of “my dear child of man” from Malleus, reluctant fondness from Sebek, and even the occasional doting comment from his father. You had touched the hearts of the Diasomnia dorm while never speaking to him. And although never having met you, Silver found himself already liking you.

It didn’t bother him initially. You were a first-year, he was a second-year. You weren’t in the same clubs. He kept a low profile; you were a social butterfly. It made sense why he hadn’t met you. Eventually, though, he found himself longing to meet the one who changed the lives of the most important people in his.

Maybe, if he was lucky, your schedules would align.

--

It wasn’t uncommon for Silver to nap outside. Although it wasn’t intentional, it was one of the better places to be, the warm sun heating his face, and the fauna shielding him from the unsavory dangers of nature. Despite the occasional bug crawling in unpleasant areas, falling asleep outside would always bode better than falling asleep during Trein’s lectures- saving him from the consequence of chastising from his classmates and his professor alike.

Lunch hour was a dangerous time for Silver. It always came with the risk of accidentally missing class if he fell asleep. Usually, he made sure to join his father and Sebek during lunch hour to avoid this. But when both of them had prior arrangements, he knew he’d have to try his best to keep himself awake. A challenge he typically failed.

So here he was, sitting in a secluded area of the courtyard. He was leaning against a tree, the sun shining brightly across his face. It was so bright, it should’ve kept him bright-eyed and focused for his next class. But alas, without realizing it, Silver’s eyes drifted closed, and he snored quietly in his lonesome corner.

“Hello,” the “o” is dragged out, melodic and playful. Your voice gently lulls him from his sleep, and he feels an unfamiliar grogginess creeping through his body. “There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know,” You said, poking Silver’s cheek. You almost gasped when his eyes opened, brilliant periwinkle, shining at you like stars. You try to chase away the flustered feeling in your chest with a wide grin, kneeling closer to him.

Silver shuffles his body, sitting up while you get closer to him. Despite your playful comment, you don’t intend to let him move from his spot, opting instead to join him on the ground. And despite not having seen you before, he knows you. The legend, real in front of him, tangible and visible at last, smiling at him like he was an old friend.

He understood then, why you were so loved.

“I’m so glad Grim irritated me today- funny thing to say, I know- but I wouldn’t have seen you otherwise,” you say, lying down in the grass. “I’ve been meaning to meet you, Silver.” You shift your head to face him, finding a comfortable position. “Everyone talks so highly of you, I needed to confirm you were the real deal,”

Oh. You wanted to meet him. You wanted to meet him.

“Is that so? I can’t imagine I’m that interesting,” he deflected.

“On the contrary. I’m very interested in you,” you say adamantly. “The mythical Silver, valiant and loyal knight of the Malleus Draconia. I had to meet the legend himself.”

(He almost laughed at your words. What a coincidence; thinking of each other so similarly.)

Despite his silence, you continue to smile up at him, eyes gleaming with fondness. The rumors were true; he was gorgeous. Striking silver hair and the most beautiful eyes you had ever seen. He was almost like a siren, so beautiful it was almost unnatural. You would be happy to sit and stare at him forever, happy to bless your eyes with something other than coursework and Grim.

“I see,” he says, after a beat of silence. “I hate to disappoint you though, Prefect. I’m afraid I’m just a regular knight and student. You’ve already met the legend, My Lord.”

Your grin grows impossibly wide. “And humble too! You are the real deal,” you begin to stand up, dusting off your uniform pants.

“Let’s get lunch together soon. I need to know if your personality is as princely as your face,”

--

Silver replays your first encounter a lot.

He likes to tell himself it's not purposeful. Most of the time, he thinks about it before he falls asleep. Your smile, your face gleaming in the sun, your soft hands poking his face, your pretty voice and laugh ringing in the air; the memory cradles him like a mother lulling him to slumber- far more often than he’d like.

You made good on your promise, finding him more often and spending your free time with him. It became a habit; meeting with him weekly for lunch and enjoying the sun together. You usually led the conversation, filling him in on school gossip and stories of your freshmen friends (Grim was quite the troublemaker, and he made a mental note to keep him far away from Malleus) while he fought to maintain consciousness.

You were practically a saint, maintaining patience even when he fell asleep while you spoke. He always felt terrible, but every time you soothed his doubts, continuing your story from where he last remembered like nothing happened.

Your kindness rivaled that of the Princess of yore, with her fondness of the Queen of Briar Valley. It was a refreshing feeling, so unusual among the normal behavior of Night Raven students. Even among the nicer students, you were a breath of fresh air- you held a sincerity akin to a Royal Sword student.

Thus, it was only natural that he began to look forward to your weekly visits. At first, Silver tried to deny it- he was doing his job as a knight by making sure you were truly safe for Malleus to be around of course- but deep in his heart he knew it was futile.

He was truly smitten from the first moment he met you.

So, while he was technically awake, he wasn’t listening to you while you chattered on about your day, complaining about Grim yet again. Instead, he was staring at you, taking in your face, your voice, just you. You were definitely worthy of Malleus’s attention. Probably above Silver’s company. And yet, here you were, donating your time like a charitable aristocrat.

“Hey, have you learned to sleep with your eyes open, Silver?” you joke, waving your hand in front of his face. He blinks, eyes focusing again once he realizes you’re calling to him.

“My apologies, Prefect, I lost focus for a moment,” he said, hoping you didn’t notice the embarrassment in his voice. “Please continue,”

You smile at him, tilting your head at him like a puppy. Usually, you’d continue like nothing happened, but now you were staring straight into him as if you were trying to read his mind.

“Yeesh- “you blink rapidly, scrunching your face in an exaggerated show of pain. “You win the staring contest. Something on your mind?”

He thinks about telling you. Telling you that you occupy his conversations, his thoughts, his dreams. Telling you that you’re distracting him from what matters most. Telling you that he’s stealing you away from the person who deserves you more than him. That maybe, even if he didn’t want to, it was best you two broke this off, for his Lord’s sake.

And he opens his mouth to do so, because Malleus comes first, of course (“Maybe you’re loyal to a fault,” your voice rings in his head. Silver ignores it) even if he doesn’t want to.

But, as if the Great Seven were looking down on him, Grim- your mischievous, troublesome, beast- crashes into your lap, howling for help.

“Henchhuman! I’m in big trouble! Save me!” He whines, burrowing further into your lap much to your annoyance. You scoop him up with a big sigh, pulling yourself up and stuffing the remnants of your lunch into your bag.

“I’m sorry Silver, raincheck?” you ask, scrambling to hold a frantic Grim and gather your belongings. Snapping out of his reverie, Silver moves to help you, slipping the bag on your shoulder with ease while you soothe the beast in your arms.

“Yes, of course, Prefect,” No! “Shall we meet here again next week?” Wrong answer!

You grin brightly moving closer to him. Silver fights the instinct to reach for his pen, reminding himself that you are not his sparring partner. Instead, once you’re parallel to him, you press your lips to his cheek. The cheek you poked weeks ago. Your lips are even softer than your hands. And in that moment, he feels himself short-circuit, fingers twitching over his pen while he tries to understand what happened.

It’s not until Grim squirms again, complaining of “feeling squished!” that you move away from him, your eyes gleaming with mischief. “It’s a date,” you confirm with a nod, walking off.

He’d have to thank Grim for all his trouble. It truly came in handy this time.

[strawberrygummiess]

the new japanese breakfast song “orlando in love” will absolutely influence a future fic, btw

[strawberrygummiess]

happy new year everyone! i wasn’t writing for very long in 2024, but thank you for all the support regardless 🫶🏽 i plan to write plenty more in 2025, i love playing dolls with these characters lol

cheers to 2025, and to finishing that damn nutcracker fic 🥂

[strawberrygummiess]

the nutcracker.

chapter 3 | chapter 4: march of the marzipan militia nutcracker x reader staff & reader che'nya x reader 2.3k words cross-posted on ao3 "He continues to talk, but you’ve stopped listening. Surely, he was exaggerating. A millennium? A thousand years? And you were still searching for them? There was no way the only solution to the Rat King was a fairytale. You would simply get Grim back yourself, Sugar Plum Fairy be damned."

The walk to Confiserie is quiet.

It wasn’t for a lack of trying. You’d think that after your near-death experience, you could wrangle answers out of your Nutcracker friend. In the forest, when he held you tight to his chest and looked at you with such a look in his eyes, you figured you had made some progress in getting closer to him (albeit, with minimal effort on your end, but if you were so effortlessly charming than you would use it to your advantage). But once again, when you try to pry information out of him, he smiles and shakes his head, ignoring your badgering to continue walking.

At this point, you admit defeat. Maybe everyone from this mirror world is a strange creature, and you’re only offending him with your pestering. You had yet to meet another human since the rat attack, and based on everything that happened since then, you wouldn’t be surprised if they were far and few between.

You do consider it progress that he acknowledges you now, even if he quickly changes the subject. However, even if he won’t answer your questions about the land, or himself, you are set on finding something else to call him.

“What is your name? Or what can I call you besides Nutcracker?” you ask, looking down at your feet when you hear the clicks of your shoes. Slowly, the snow on the ground has given away to a worn stone path, signaling that you’ve finally left the snowy forest. The ground looks completely untouched by the winter air, the grass is bright green and healthy and the trees bushy and full. The view of the field is beautiful, and you gape in awe at the serenity of the walk.

“You’re very adamant on finding this out,” he says, shocking you out of your reverie. He says, continuing to look forward. You frown, increasing your speed until you move before him, stopping him.

“I will stop asking you personal questions if you tell me your name,”

He stares at you for a second, debating. For a second, you think you might’ve won him over, watching as he opens his mouth to answer you before he frowns, grabs your arm, and pulls you behind him, drawing his sword with the other.

“Who goes there?” he shouts, his grip still tight on your wrist. If the wood of his hand weren’t bruising the skin, it would be a comforting gesture. Instead, you wince in pain, trying to stay quiet.

You cower behind your Nutcracker, peering over his shoulder to see what spooked him. You hadn’t heard anything, and when you looked around him, you couldn’t see anything either. Rook would be ashamed of your subpar hunter instincts.

“What is it?” you whisper, standing on your tippy toes to whisper in his wooden ear. The Nutcracker doesn’t respond, continuing to point his sword ahead. If you squint, you can see the town center up ahead. Otherwise, all you can see are abandoned cottages and empty fields. The outskirts of the town were practically deserted, and you couldn’t help the eerie feeling rising through your chest.

It was a complete ghost town. Paired with the beautiful scenery, it looked more like a painting than a real town.

“It really is I, who should be asking you, ‘Who goes there?’”

The voice is so quiet, it sounds like a whisper in your ear. But when you turn, there is no one beside you. A giggle fills the air, ringing out like a horn, yet no one is around you or the Nutcracker.

“Show yourself!”

“We mean no harm!” You cry, putting your hand over the Nutcracker’s, urging him to lower his sword. “We just want to find the Sugar Plum Fairy.”

The voice laughs again. “A figure more elusive than I. You sure do have your work cut out for you,” You move around the Nutcracker, looking for the source of the voice, trying to find your way closer. Your Nutcracker reaches out for you, urging you to stay beside him, but you continue to search.

And then, out of thin air, pops a boy.

“Oh!” You cry, stumbling backwards. It’s not a full body, but just his head. He peers at you with a cat-like grin, purple locks blending in with his violet military beret. Where an insignia would be, is instead a sugar-coated sugar plum.

“Do you serve the Sugar Plum Fairy? Do you know where they are?” you ask pointing to the candy on his hat.

“We Marzipan serve all who need us,” he says, head bobbing between you and the Nutcracker. “Although we've been stretched awfully thin these days, due to the Rat King,” He sighs. You feel a weight on your back pushing you forward, realizing he’d languidly leaned on you for support. By now you can see his whole body, violet military uniform coming into view. He pokes your nose and giggles again.

“We’ve been stuck recruiting from all over the lands. Candy Canes from the north, Chocolates from the west, Coffee from the south,” he begins listing many different regions. You glance at the Nutcracker, hoping for some sort of clarity, but he glances at you with an equally bewildered look.

Weird meet weirder.

“So… help me understand a little bit,” you say, turning your head to look at the boy on your shoulder. He looked no older than a teenager yet was dressed up to fight in a war. You tried to ignore the pang in your chest at the thought. “You’re a part of a Marzipan Military- “

“-militia,”

“-Right, and you’re fighting the Rat King… and I’m guessing you don’t know where the Sugar Plum Fairy is.” You summarize, shifting your shoulder to get his head to lie comfortably. He takes the bait, practically purring as he stretches his neck into yours, relaxing.

“My, you’re smarter than you look, little human. No one’s heard from Sugar Plum in a millennium, it's unsurprising that in our time of need, they’re nowhere to be found. Our own Royal family though- “

He continues to talk, but you’ve stopped listening. Surely, he was exaggerating. A millennium? A thousand years? And you were still searching for them? There was no way the only solution to the Rat King was a fairytale. You would simply get Grim back yourself, Sugar Plum Fairy be damned.

“Your General, you say? Take us to him, won’t you?” The Nutcracker says, knocking you back into the present. The boy on your shoulder sighs, before pushing himself off your back, standing straight.

“Oh no, not I. I must remain at my post, but go on ahead- you’ll find him eventually,” he giggles, and just as he appears, he fades away, until nothing is left but his Cheshire smile.

You’re left stunned and turn to your Nutcracker, who tsks in irritation, before continuing to walk toward the town center.

--

Just like the outskirts of the village, Confiserie Town Center is barren. Shops are barricaded and boarded up, looking abandoned. The whole town seems completely deserted.

“Hello?” you cry out, much to the chagrin of your Nutcracker. “Is anyone here? We met your… uh… lookout!” You move through the town center, yelling at anyone who could hear you.

“Are you mad?” The Nutcracker cries, grabbing your arm. “Who knows what’s out here? You’re inviting anything out to attack you!” He chastises you, pulling you behind him, grip tight. You roll your eyes, annoyed with the knightly act by now.

“The Marzipan are fighting the Rat King. Clearly, they’re our allies. We might think to have their help against the Rat King instead of the Sugar Plum Fairy,”

“Preposterous!” A voice cries from the Town Hall. Scrambling out from behind boarded doors is a tall man with a shako hat, strangely bright yellow. In the center was a sugared lemon, matching his uniform. “There is no army in the world that can beat the Rat King, especially a hodgepodge militia!”

He scrambles over, and standing at full height, you’re surprised when he towers above you. He peers down at you, almost like a curious bird, tilting his head back and forth. “You are searching for the Sugar Plum Fairy? You dare brave our dangerous lands? How brave you are, how courageous!” He grins, grabbing your face and squishing your cheeks together.

“Are you the General of the Militia?” The Nutcracker asks, moving between you and the birdman. You’re thankful to be freed from the strong man, rubbing your sore cheeks. Everyone from this world has such a strong grip!

“Yes, yes, I so generously lent my expertise for a failure of a militia, and yet we lack manpower and support. It is quite sad indeed, is it not, my wooden lad?” The birdman says, bringing his hands to his head in shame. “How am I to fight a real army with a plethora of silly children and old men, I ask? If you’re set on finding Sugar Plum you must, oh yes, you must!”

You move to stand next to the Nutcracker, pouting. He gives you a smug look as if to say “See; we must find the Sugar Plum Fairy like I said,” glancing at the Birdman while he had his miniature tantrum.

“Excuse me!” you interrupt, waving your hands in his face. “We know the Sugar Plum Fairy hasn’t been seen in quite some time, but do you happen to know where we could begin to look for them? We need their help to defeat the Rat King, and free my friend.”

The Birdman stops for a second, rubbing his chin with his fingers. He mumbles a series of “no… no… maybe… yes, that’s it!” before snapping his fingers in excitement.

“Peach! Pear! Prune! Plum! I need your assistance!” he practically sings, cupping his hands around his mouth to announce his call.

From the boarded-up building, four men emerge. One is very old, much too old to be a part of any militia. The next is so skinny, you’d think he’s too malnourished to serve any use. The next man is incredibly muscular, large, and boisterous, with a shining smile. The last man is almost model-like, too pretty to be a part of any military.

“Quite a rag-tag group, is it not?” The Nutcracker whispers in your ear. You giggle and nod.

“Lads! These two brave souls are searching for the Sugar Plum Fairy. In my generosity, I’ve allowed them to confer with my intelligence team. Aren’t I so merciful!’

“Maybe so, if we had any information to pass on,” the older man, Prune, quips. “Alas, as you may know, the Sugar Plum Fairy hasn’t been seen in quite some time,”

“Yes sir,” you nod. “But we must! My friend was taken captive by the Rat King. I have to save him, and we can’t do that without their help!”

Prune hums, shaking his head. The muscular and the pretty man mumble to themselves, also seeming stumped by your predicament. The skinny man laughs, grasping you and the Nutcracker in his arms.

“All is not lost, Little Sweets! I may know a way to help you in your quest.” He says, leaning close between your faces. “The Sugar Plum may be elusive, but their magic can be called upon!” He releases your shoulders and fishes through his jacket pockets, pulling out a small sack.

“Sugar Plum is the guardian of the Land of Sweets. Legend states that they can be summoned only by gathering magic from every inch of the land and chanting the spell of Noel. And, luckily for you, Little Sweets, we’ve gathered many of the Lands’ people right here.” He gives you an impish grin. “You find the other soldiers, ask them for a little bit of… ah- pixie dust and you’ll be ready to summon Sugar Plum in no time,”

The Nutcracker outstretches his hand and Peach places the bag in his hand. “As a start, I’ve provided you the magic of the Marzipan. For free, of course, so long as you use your newfound knowledge for good. Help us defeat the Rat King and we’ll be indebted to you.”

“Thank you, thank you so much!” You cry, grasping his hands. “We will. I promise.”

“We will restore order and hope to these lands and release you from your duties. Soon the Marzipan may return to their ordinary lives,” The Nutcracker says, giving a slight, princely bow. “For now, if you may- point us toward your barracks. We must converse with the rest of the soldiers.”

The Lemon-General/Birdman directs you toward the barracks while chanting about his generosity and benevolence which fills you with a deep sense of Deja vu. The Nutcracker chimes in with polite remarks, nodding and agreeing while sending you occasional incredulous glances.

You were happy to see his sense of humor coming out after a while. You hadn’t learned his name yet, but maybe you could make a nickname for him. Nut? Nutty? Cracker? Scratch that- all of those were horrible! Maybe you were losing your touch. Or maybe you could spice it up somehow. How would Rook say it? Casse-noix? You could shorten it to just Noix, and he’d be none the wiser to his nickname just being “nut”.  

When you begin giggling to yourself, Noix shoots you a questioning look. You smile at him, tilting your head as you inspect him. The classy red uniform (much nicer than the rest of the colorful military uniforms you have seen thus far) matches his gray hair quite nicely. Despite being made of wood, he was quite handsome. Noix definitely suited him.

With a newfound hope, you follow the Lemon General and Noix, ready to gather some magic.

[strawberrygummiess]

i have been as sick as a dog for the last few days, i'm sorry everyone ;-: next chapter will be out overnight i'm sure

[strawberrygummiess]

i am back from my mini vacation! new chapter tonight 🫶🏽

just a heads up- i tried to get a chapter out before my trip but i just ran out of time- i’ll be out of town until the 21st🫶🏽 when i get back it’ll have to be a chapter everyday (or double features) to be done by christmas uh oh

see yall then! logging off for now

[strawberrygummiess]

just a heads up- i tried to get a chapter out before my trip but i just ran out of time- i’ll be out of town until the 21st🫶🏽 when i get back it’ll have to be a chapter everyday (or double features) to be done by christmas uh oh

see yall then! logging off for now

[strawberrygummiess]

Do you have a visual for the nutcracker? Not to spoil who he is but like does he look more like the traditional wooden kind with tufts of hair? Or more like the in nutcracker prince 1990?

Hi anon! In the first chapter, I tried to describe the Nutcracker as the most stereotypical one you could buy in the store, lol.

like these:

to keep the identity of the Nutcracker a secret, I wanted him to look like the gift the reader got in the first chapter, just life-sized lol.

but I neglected to describe him in the recent chapters, so that's my bad! I'll be sure to add more descriptions in the upcoming chapter to avoid any further confusion!

thanks for reading! and thanks for asking lol!

[strawberrygummiess]

I 💗 the nutcracker story 🤧

Did not expect Rollo as the rat king but he’s a good fit!

Thank you for sharing your writing ❤️🙏

aw thank you so much anon <3 it means a lot to hear that people are enjoying this story so much haha

just for you, here's chapter 3

[strawberrygummiess]

the nutcracker.

chpt. 2 | chapter 3: waltz of the snowflakes the nutcracker x reader heartslabyul x reader 2.6k words cross-posted on ao3 "You cup your hands around your mouth and puff hot air into them. You notice the bed of your fingernails are turning purple. “What gives? It wasn’t cold when we got here!” “Hmm…” He looks around. “The Pixies must know we’re here now. They’re welcoming us with fresh snow for winter.” On cue, it begins to snow. It starts light, a few snowflakes landing delicately on your nose. The snow made the forest glow beautifully, snowflakes shining like stars in the blue light. If you weren’t so cold, you would fall back into the pillowy ground and soak up the snow. Instead, you shivered in The Nutcracker's grasp, watching the landscape dramatically change. "

You didn’t know what to expect after you crossed through the mirror.

Truthfully you didn’t think you would go through the mirror at all. You figured you’d push your hands into the solid glass and wake up from this strange dream. And yet when you pressed your hand against the glass, your fingers slowly inched forward, moving through like water. And then, when you brought your whole body through, you were in a completely different world. Gone was your room in Ramshackle. Now you stood in ankle-deep snow surrounded by trees that almost shone blue in the light.

Despite standing in the snow, you didn’t feel cold. You were still in your pajamas, (and you had quickly thrown on a pair of real shoes before leaving.) but even in a weather-inappropriate outfit, no chill or ice fills the air, feeling more like a spring day.

You walked alongside the Nutcracker, sneaking glances at his profile. His gaze was focused and determined, as it was during the mouse battle. He moved robotically, one side lifting awkwardly when he took a step. It looked unnatural for him to walk, and you couldn’t decide if it was because he just came alive, or if he was trapped in a nutcracker’s body.

You didn’t even know his name. The last time you asked, he avoided the question. And based on his quiet demeanor, he would never tell you of his own volition. Conversation starters flew through your mind: “So, you never answered me earlier- who are you?”; “Why does everyone here look vaguely familiar?”; “Has this place always been in my mirror? Do you happen to know a nice mouse named Mickey?” You sigh, shaking your head defeatedly. None of these questions would warrant a satisfying answer from him- he’d shut down as soon as you pried too much for his liking. You were no closer to understanding him, or the land he was taking you through.

While you were walking, the weather began to shift. Slowly the air got cooler until you were shivering and watching your breath puff out before you. The snow got tougher to move through, the ice melting through your shoes and soaking your feet uncomfortably.

“Why did it get so cold suddenly?” you huff, clutching and rubbing your arms. You’re regretting not bringing a coat with you. You sniffled miserably, nose running and dribbling due to the wind.

You glanced at the Nutcracker. Besides his awkward gait, he seemed to pay no mind to the sudden freezing temperature, wooden eyes still cast forward. If he heard you, he made no indication that he did, ignoring your question to trek forward. You purse your lips, annoyed. Maybe he didn’t want to answer personal questions, but writing you off completely was irritating.

“Hey,” you prompted, touching his arm. Despite the frigid air, the wood was still warm. You let your hand linger on his shoulder, indulging in the small bit of warmth in the freezing forest. “I don’t know if I can keep moving through this, I don’t have the right clothes, and it's freezing,”

The Nutcracker turns his head towards you, eyes cast downwards at your hand on his shoulder. He hesitates for a second, as if not expecting you to touch him before he finally looks at your face.

You must be in worse shape than you thought because his eyes widen in shock at the state of you. For all you know, you’ve turned into a walking icicle.

“Your lips are blue. Are they supposed to do that?” The Nutcracker moves your hand from his arm and cradles you into his chest, attempting to warm you up like he already knows the answer. The wood is slowly getting colder, but you greedily take whatever warmth is left, pressing your cheek into his chest.

“No!” You cry cupping your hands around your mouth and puffing hot air into them. You notice the bed of your fingernails are turning purple. “What gives? It wasn’t cold when we got here!”

“Hmm…” He looks around. “The Pixies must know we’re here now. They’re welcoming us with fresh snow for winter.”

On cue, it begins to snow. It starts light, a few snowflakes landing delicately on your nose. The snow made the forest glow beautifully, snowflakes shining like stars in the blue light. If you weren’t so cold, you would fall back into the pillowy ground and soak up the snow. Instead, you shivered in The Nutcracker's grasp, watching the landscape dramatically change.

“The Pixies…?” you ask, watching the trees as the branches frost at the tips. It looked like dew; crystal clear drips gracing each branch. Most of the trees in the forest were bare, leaves long dead due to the winter air, but the ice acted like fresh leaves, weighing the branches down until they bowed to the ground.

“The Snow Pixies to be exact… they’ll go dormant once winter ends, but until then…” The Nutcracker looks up, extending an arm into the sky as if inviting snowflakes into his hand.

After a second, he brings his arm down to your eye level. In his hand, is a little blue pixie.

“Oh!” you gasp in shock. A boy, as tall as the Nutcracker’s hand, beamed at you, a lazy glint in his eye. He was multiple shades of blue: his skin was almost white, a tinted sky blue that contrasted against his royal blue hair. Under his right eye was a snowflake tattoo, a deep warm blue that popped against his skin.

That definitely felt familiar.

“Hello there,” you greet, leaning in closer. He flutters his wings at you, giving you a boyish grin as he flutters up from the Nutcracker’s hand to get even closer to your face. “Are you the one making it so cold?”

His laugh rings out clearly; little jingles like a bell, as he presses a hand against your nose. He’s so cold he burns, and the action shocks another gasp from your lips. He laughs again and presses his face into your cheek, and to your surprise, it’s much warmer than his hand. His kisses shock your skin, the switch from frigid to scalding, and you huff again.

“If you are, I don’t appreciate it. I nearly froze to death out here,”

The pixie jingles again, pressing a hand to your face as a warning, before pressing apology kisses above your brow. Eventually, once he’s done one side of your face, he pulls back and sighs dramatically, draping his body on your shoulder in exhaustion.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you move him to your hand (noticeably smaller than the Nutcracker’s) and bring him up to your ear. “Are you tired?”

“Very!” He squeaks. You grin excitedly, happy to be able to hear him. “You’re huge!”

 You frown. Maybe his silence was a blessing.

“Could you help me? We’re trying to find the Sugar Plum Fairy, but I can’t find them if I freeze out here. Could you call your friends to help warm me up?” You ask, already feeling the chill return to the left side of your face.

“Ugh, actually,” he says sheepishly. “I’m not on good terms with my liege, currently. Don’t know how open he is to helping visitors right now,” he laughs again, bells ringing in your ears. “You might be all out of luck little human,”

The Nutcracker grabs the pixie quickly, lifting him by the wings in his wooden hand. “That will not do. Call upon any Snow Pixie you can find and tell them I sent for them.” He lectures.

They converse for a second, the pixie ringing in disagreement before finally fluttering off in a huff, leaving a trail of blue snowflakes lingering in the air. You don’t know how the Nutcracker could hear him- especially with wooden ears. You attribute it to his affinity for magic. Either way, you are left in the cold again with your Nutcracker.

“Is he getting help?” You ask, looking up at him. He nods, watching the pixie until his glow fades into the distance. “Good… I hope he comes back soon,”

--

You don’t know how long you were left alone in the snow. You’re shivering again, leaning into the Nutcracker, desperate for warmth. He holds you princess-style, lifting your feet from the snow to keep them dry. You feel weak, eyes struggling to stay open as your body succumbs to the winter chill.

“So much for a welcome,” you mumble—the Nutcracker hums in agreement, pulling you tightly to his chest. “It’s more like a farewell,”

“Silence that talk at once,” The Nutcracker hisses. “You must stay alive for your cat,”

You sigh pitifully. Grim. Of course. You have to find Grim. You have to go home. But you’re so cold. And so tired. You could close your eyes- for just a second, and take a small nap before the pixies return.

Little jingles make you drowsily open your eyes. The little pixie boy is back, fluttering around your face, saying something you can’t understand. He says something else, but you shake your head.

“I can’t hear you when you’re that far away. Come closer to my ear,” your hands shake as you point to the side of your head. You hear the fluttering of his wings when he gets closer, and the tickle of his body as he settles on the side of your head, leaning over to talk into your ear.

“Hey! Shapen up! I brought you my Queen, so show some respect!” He cries into your ear. You look around and find a sky full of blue lights, glittering and jingling like stars and bells. The sound is magical, ringing out into the forest in a melody unfamiliar to your ears, but beautiful, nonetheless.

“Oh. Thank you,” You say, watching a group of pixies fly towards you. “I must apologize, Your Majesty, but I am inappropriately dressed for your gifts,”

They jingle in response, and you smile, not understanding.

“You broke Rule 457 with your attire! It clearly states that on Saturday mornings, humans must wear pink-striped pajamas and a green plaid peacoat when visiting the Forest of Fir! You must study the laws of the land before you visit!” The Queen squeaks- so loud you can hear him despite his distance from your ear. He flutters close to your face- to the displeasure of his retainers, who struggle to follow him at his speed. He’s smaller than the other pixies, but his size doesn’t stop his poise- he stands straighter and more refined than your friend. He shares the same blue color scheme, this time with decorated royal robes fitting of a Queen.

 “What say you-“he halts when he sees the state of you so close, eyelashes decorated with snowflakes and lips chapped and blue. Your skin is pale, eyes unfocused and lazy as you smile again.

His retainers chime among themselves at your condition. You hear the squeaks of the pixie by your ear: “Yeah, according to the hunk of wood, they’re dying out here. But I don’t know, they look like us now, don’t they?”

One flutters to your ear to scold the boy by your ear. “Humans aren’t supposed to be blue!” he cries. This one has a tattoo on his opposite eye, acting as a perfect pair to your friend. “They will die if they don’t get warm!”

“You didn’t tell me that human!” your friend cries, panicked. “I thought you were being dramatic!” He flutters off your ear to join the Queen who nervously floats around your face, analyzing your condition.

“It is quite rude to let a guest of the Fir Forest pass in my presence.” The Queen says. “Very well, we shall help you, but I expect you to brush up on the laws of this land before your next visit,” He nods to his retainers, a pixie in a dashing hat, and one with a ponytail, before raising his scepter to your nose.

The pixies jingle again, the beautiful bell melody filling your ears again as they dance around you. The shades of blue are beautiful, they move like a sparkling sea around your body, as they chant a spell around you.

You don’t know how ice fairies can warm you up, but you slowly regain feeling in your fingers and toes, and soon find yourself more alert as your body returns to your natural temperature. The pixies are almost dancing, blue sparkles and snowflakes drifting around you in an ethereal display of magic. You’re mesmerized by their work, watching as flurries of snowflakes shoot around you in a circle, encasing you in a warm icebox. You glance at your Nutcracker, surprised to find him looking at you.

Even with his limited expressions, you see the affection in his eyes.

Flustered, you return your glance to the pixies, who are nearing the end of their spell. The Queen flies forward, lifting his scepter from your nose to the sky, and you watch in awe as the forest fills with a beam of bright light and snow. The snowflakes around you settle, and the bells cease as the pixies return to the forest.

You are left with your friend, the original pixie, who flies around you, checking to see if you’ll survive the rest of the journey. He rings out, looking confident at the sight of your face, no longer pale and sickly.

“Thank you,” you smile warmly, pressing your index finger to your lips. You press it lightly onto his head, ruffling his hair even with your slight touch. He glows the brightest blue you’ve seen thus far, flustered and embarrassed, before ringing out again and flying into the distance.

The Nutcracker sets you down once he’s gone, ensuring you’ve warmed up completely. You feel rejuvenated, excitedly flopping into the snow once he puts you down. It’s the softest snow you’ve ever felt, pillowy and cloudlike under your fingers. You don’t feel the chill, instead feeling the plushness of a warm blanket. You sigh as you relax in it, happy to indulge in the Snow Pixies’ welcome gift at last.

“Why would Snow Pixies have warming spells anyway?” you ask, moving your arms and legs to make a snow angel. “It seems counterintuitive,”

“It’s not a warming spell. They made you resistant to the frost.” The Nutcracker says, extending his arm to you. You pout but grab it anyways, dusting the snow off your pajamas. You did have a mission, but after nearly freezing to death, you wanted to enjoy the magical snow. “It seems the side effect is wanting to play in the snow,” he chuckles, watching you attempt to make a snowball.

Once caught, you drop it, watching it splat in front of your feet. You give him a sheepish grin. “Right. I should focus. We gotta find Grim. And the Sugar Plum Fairy.” He nods in agreement and points into the distance.

“Just beyond the forest, there’s a village named Confiserie. We’ll travel through and ask for anyone if they know the whereabouts of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” he says, moving forward in the direction of the town. “

Grabbing the Nutcracker’s arm, you pull him forward, spirit renewed after your near-death experience. “All right then, tally ho, Nutcracker! Let’s get out of this forest and rejoin civilization, shall we?”

If he could grin, you’re sure he would.

[strawberrygummiess]

the nutcracker.

chapter one | chapter two: the battle the nutcracker x gn!reader rollo flamme x gn!reader (one-sided) 2k words cross-posted on ao3 "Mice scattered the floor, squeaking and chittering. Your breath caught in your throat; the urge to scream battled with your fight or flight. They were everywhere; you could barely see the wood underneath the mass of rodents. And Grim, who usually slept in a ball by your feet, was nowhere to be found."

You tried your best to keep pests out of the dorm.

Combined with the age and the neglect, the dorm was in extreme disrepair when you moved in. After a scare from a roach in your kitchen and a mouse in your bedroom, you had to take matters into your own hands. Your first month in Twisted Wonderland was spent trying to keep the inside in and the outside out; sealing all the holes and gaps you found around the dorm and spent countless hours scrubbing all the grime away. (Of course, Ace and Deuce were quick to tell you that they could’ve done a month’s worth of work with a wave of their wand had you asked. From then on, you used them as your personal housecleaners.)

Despite all the renovations to your dorm since then, you had the occasional pest sneak into your house. But usually, it was just one unsightly bug or a mouse that Grim had brought in as a “gift”.

But this? This was an infestation that seemingly spawned overnight.

Mice scattered the floor, squeaking and chittering. Your breath caught in your throat; the urge to scream battled with your fight or flight. They were everywhere; you could barely see the wood underneath the mass of rodents. And Grim, who usually slept in a ball by your feet, was nowhere to be found.

“The Nutcracker! Where did you hide him? Show us where he is!” You hear a high-pitched chat fill the room. You glanced around, looking for the source of the chants. But soon, you realize the chants were coming from the mice. You had figured Grim was a unique cat; none of the other animals you encountered in Twisted Wonderland could talk. And yet, here you were, flanked by an army of talking mice. You take your attention away from the mice and look to the fireplace, realizing that the Nutcracker is missing from its spot on your mantle.

You finally yelp in surprise when the mice begin crawling on your bed. You scramble to move away, pushing your body as far up the bed as possible. They wore miniature suits of armor, advancing toward you with tiny rapiers. They repeated their chant, louder and clearer now that they were closer to you.

“Stay back!” You pulled your legs up to your chest, grabbing your pillow and outstretching it as a makeshift weapon. “I don’t know where it is! Get out!”

A loud CRACK, like glass breaking, makes the mice stop. Your mirror is broken, cracks spreading from the corners of the glass and framing a center circle. And peeking from your broken mirror is the largest rat you’ve ever seen.

It begins crawling out from your mirror headfirst, slowly lowering itself to the floor. The mice seem to clear the way it stands at full attention. It looks almost humanoid, with silver hair, styled and cut neatly, and piercing gray eyes (ones you’ve definitely seen before). If not for the white fur covering its body and face, you would’ve thought he was a normal beastman.

It, or he, since he looked more human than animal, was wearing an ornate black robe that kissed the floor. Underneath was an expertly tailored and fitted military uniform, a deep plum matching his robe. He gripped a silver scepter in his hand, topped with a red ruby. On his ring finger, was an ornate ring with the same oversized red ruby. On top of his head sat an elegant silver crown that hid his ears.

He seemed unbothered by your presence, looking around the room stoically, before suddenly swinging the scepter towards you, still avoiding your face.

“You, human: where is that pesky Nutcracker?”

You don’t answer right away, flustered and overwhelmed by the night. The longer you take to answer the more the man sneers.

“Maybe I was not clear,” with a snap of his fingers, the mice begin to move again, jumping on your bed towards you. You scream in fright, trying to make yourself as small as possible on the bed. You notice in horror that a few mice grow life-sized, standing by the bedroom door and at the side of the Rat King. “You will tell me where the Nutcracker is, lest you join my collection of minions.”

He approaches you, grabbing your chin and forcing you to look at him. He tilts your head in several directions, observing you like a doll. His frown quickly morphs into a smirk, and an uneasy feeling fills your body as he begins to eye you less as an obstacle and more like a prize.

“I ensure you complete safety in my kingdom,” his grip on your chin tightens, and you wince in pain. “As long as you tell me where the Nutcracker is,”

You struggle in his hold, avoiding his harsh gaze by looking around the room. “I don’t know where he is,” you gasp pathetically. “He was on the mantle when I went to sleep, I don’t know where he went,”

The Rat King narrows his eyes, smirk growing more strained. His nails dig into your chin, breaking the skin, waiting for you to remedy your answer. The mice on your bed crawl over your covered legs, chittering and crying “Answer him, answer us!”

Your door swings open with a BANG, flinging the guards on the ground. The Nutcracker, your Nutcracker, enters the room, also life-sized, holding his sword in one hand. The other is hanging uselessly to his side, limp and flimsy. The Rat King turns his attention away from you, allowing you to scramble out of his grip and off the bed.

The Nutcracker extends his sword toward the Rat King, eyes focused and determined. With a wave of his hand, the Rat King orders his army of mice to attack the Nutcracker, standing behind his guards. Despite his broken arm, the Nutcrack fights valiantly, overpowering the guards easily. The smaller mice swarm his feet, pushing and pulling his body like waves.

As the Nutcracker fights the mice, you crawl on the floor, struggling to escape the room. You pass by your slippers, (a gift from Grim that you never used due to their ridiculously large size- but it’s the thought that counts) and grab one of the shoes, continuing your army crawl to the doorway. Blood drips on the floor, drops staining your pajamas as you crawl over the puddles. You attempt to escape the room unnoticed, but as soon as you crawl to the doorway, you’re scooped up by a guard mouse by one arm, feet dangling above the ground. You quickly hide the slipper behind your back and stop struggling, hoping to lull the guard into false security.

The Nutcracker has overpowered many of the mice, despite his injury. The smaller mice have mostly retreated, finding solace behind their king. The royal guards had been defeated, holding their wounded limbs tightly as they squeaked in pain. The Rat King was unsympathetic to his wounded army, fishing a handkerchief; violet with embroidered yellow stars, from his pocket and holding it to his nose. He scowls from behind the fabric, disgusted, as he raises his scepter towards the Nutcracker.

“You, Nutcracker, are the last obstacle standing between a pure kingdom, and debauchery,” he says, his scepter glowing red. The magic looks different from the usual spells you’ve seen in Twisted Wonderland; runes decorate the floor where he stands, and fiery flowers blossom beneath his feet.

 The Nutcracker says nothing, grip tightening on his sword as he braces for the magic attack. Whatever the Rat King is planning will kill him, and possibly you as well. Without thinking you launch the oversized slipper at the Rat King.

It doesn’t hurt him, but it stuns him long enough for the Nutcracker to charge first, dislodging the scepter and prematurely ending the spell. The Nutcracker swings his blade, slicing through the King’s clothes. The guard quickly drops you, rushing to aid his king while the sea of mice moves to protect him, carrying him to the mirror.

The King clutches his chest, scrambling up the mantle. The mice swarm over his scepter, preventing the Nutcracker from grabbing it and pushing it up the mantle, through the mirror. “This is not over, Nutcracker!” the King cries, before disappearing through the mirror after it. The mice follow him, squealing and chittering until the last one scurries out of the room.

For a while, you sit in stunned silence at all you’ve seen. Your time in Twisted Wonderland has exposed you to strange scenarios, yet nothing could compare to the absurd battle you’ve witnessed. You go to pinch your arm, thinking it was a dream, but you’re rudely reminded that you are awake when blood drips from your chin again.

“Are you all right?”

The Nutcracker speaks for the first time, the booming thuds of his wooden feet echoing in the room. You stand up, but even at full height, he towers above you. He looks exactly like the Nutcracker Crowley gifted you, the same uniform, hair, and familiar face. The only difference is his broken arm, weakly hanging from the elbow joint.

“I’m okay… it’s just a scratch. What about your arm?” You tentatively grasp his forearm, examining the elbow joint closely. It was knocked out of place but could be popped back in with a strong push. “…I don’t remember receiving a broken gift,”

“Your cat broke me, he knocked me off the mantle in the middle of the night and brought me to the kitchen to hide me, but they captured him before he could go back to sleep,”

You gasp in shock and let go of his arm. “They took Grim!? When?” you ask him a million questions a minute. The Nutcracker opens his mouth to answer, but you interrupt him.

“Where did they take him? What do they want with him? What do they want with you? What’s happening? Who are you?” They all tumble out of your mouth rapidly, giving him no opportunity to answer anything before the next question pops out of you. He grabs your hands, engulfing them in just one of his wooden ones before you can say anything else.

“I will help you find him- but we cannot free him ourselves. We must journey to the Land of the Sweets and find the Sugar Plum Fairy; they can help free Grim and defeat the Rat King.”  The Nutcracker explains. “To get there, we must travel through the looking glass,”

You resist the urge to pinch your arm. Again.

“So…” you start tentatively. “We have to find a fairy. Where are they?”

The Nutcracker chuckles, slightly flustered. “I’m not sure. They’re said to travel the lands. But they've been hiding ever since the Rat King took over the Land of Sweets. Sugar Plum is the last person who can overpower him, and he’s stopping at nothing to find them,”

“And you,” you say, grabbing his arm again. “…Why does he want you dead?”

The Nutcracker doesn’t respond, watching you fiddle with his arm until you finally click the joint back into place. He moves it successfully and nods at you.

“We should leave now to find the Sugar Plum Fairy. Your cat needs you,”

Ignoring your question, he stands by the mantle, gesturing for you to follow him. Against your better judgment, you do.